• Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is a rapper and songwriter from Compton, California, with a net worth of $18 million.
• He was inspired to rap as a young boy after seeing Dr. Dre and Tupac Shakur film a video in his hometown.
• His debut mixtape, “Youngest Head N*gga in Charge”, released in 2003, and was his first step to fame.
• He has released four studio albums, each of which has achieved critical acclaim, and has collaborated with a number of artists including Taylor Swift and Rihanna.
• He is a Christian and is engaged to his long-term girlfriend, Whitney Alford.
Short Info
| Date Of Birth | June 17, 1987 |
| Fact | 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G, Eminem, Jay-Z and Nas are his 5 favorite artists. |
Who is Kendrick Lamar?
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth was born on 17 June 1987, in Compton, California USA, and is best known as a rapper and songwriter who released albums such as “Good Boy, M.A.A.D City” and “To Pimp a Butterfly”. His skills are praised in all media and, throughout his career, this rapper has reached the top of the worldwide charts.
Net Worth
So just how rich is Kendrick Lamar as of early 2018? According to authoritative sources, this singer has a net worth of $18 million, accumulated from his over 15 years-long career in the previously mentioned field. According to some sources, Kendrick has recently bought a house in Calabasas, California.
Early Life
Kendrick is a son of Kenny Duckworth, a member of the street gang called Gangster Disciples in Chicago, Illinois, and was named in honor of singer/songwriter Eddie Kendricks. In 1995, aged only eight, Kendrick saw his idols, Dr. Dre and Tupac Shakur filming the music video for their song entitled “California Love”, which was one of the crucial moments in his life, in addition to his education at McNair Elementary, and in addition at vanguard learning center, located in the Compton Unified School District. As a teenager, he studied at the Centennial High School located in the same city, and was a straight-A student there.
The Beginning of the Career
Kendrick began rapping at a young age, and aged only 16 released his debut mixtape, under the title “Youngest Head N*gga in Charge”, using the stage name K-Dot, and released through Konkrete Jungle Muzik, and gained Lamar recognition among the local audience. He then signed a deal with Top Dawg Entertainment, at that time a new indie record label based in Carson, California. Lamar began recording with them in 2005, and released a mixtape consisting of 26 tracks under the title “Training Day”. In the following years, he collaborated with other West Coast rappers, including Jay Rock and Ya Boy, and was an opening act for The Game, a veteran West Coast rapper, and under the same name of K-Dot, Kendrick was featured in The Game’s songs such as “Cali N*ggas” and “The Cypha”. In 2008, he was featured in Jay Rock’s “All My Life (In the Ghetto)”, also collaborated with Lil Wayne and backed by Warner Bros. Records. Later on, he made a video of a live performance of a Charles Hamilton show, which allowed him to gain even more recognition in the rap world.
2010 – 2011
In 2011, Lamar released the studio album entitled “Section.80” through Top Dawg Entertainment, featuring artists such as GLC, Colin Munroe, Schoolboy Q and Ashtrobot. The lyrics of the album focused on topics such as medication tolerance, racism and the crack epidemic, and received a positive response from the audience and critics, was certified gold by the RIAA, and charted on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard), US Top Rap Albums (Billboard) and US Heatseekers Albums lists, peaking at number one on the latter.
2012 – 2013
In early 2012, a song by Kendrick, entitled “Cartoon and Cereal” was leaked online; subsequently the singer revealed that he was planning on releasing it on his major-label debut album, and had plans to shoot the video for it, however, the song didn’t end up on the album, despite its eventual commercial success. In March of the same year, MTV announced that Kendrick had signed a record deal with Interscope Records and Aftermath Entertainment, which ended to his career as an independent artist. Under the new deal, the singer released his album “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City”, which was consisted of tracks such as “Money Tree”, “Poetic Justice”, and “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”, and again generated a positive response from the critics and the audience, peaking at number one on US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard), US Top Rap Albums (Billboard) and US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard), as well as achieving success in countries such as the UK and New Zealand.
2014 – 2016
In 2015, the singer released another, long-awaited album under the title “To Pimp a Butterfly”, which featured tracks such as “King Kunta”, “These Walls” and “For Free”, including topics such as racial inequality, history and religion, and which achieved great success, peaking at number one on Australian Albums (ARIA), Canadian Albums (Billboard), New Zealand Albums (RMNZ), UK Albums (OCC), US Billboard 200, US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard), and on the Billboard Top 100 chart. Also in 2015, Kendrick was featured on the official remix of “Bad Blood”, a critically appraised song made by Taylor Swift, and also made an appearance in the music video for the song.
2017 – Present
In March 2017, the singer released “The Heart Part”, a promotional single and one week later released the lead single, entitled “Humble” and additionally uploaded the music video for the song. In April, Lamar’s fourth studio album entitled “Damn” was released, featuring guests such as Rihanna, U2 and Zacari, and consisting of 14 songs such as “Loyalty”, “Feel”, “Humble” and “Blood”. Subsequently, Kendrick’s efforts were recognized with the awards of the BET Hip Hop for Album of the Year, American Music for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album, and Grammy for Best Rap Album, among others, and “Damn” was certified gold in Australia and Austria, platinum in Denmark and double platinum in the US, having sold more than a million copies.
Influences
Kendrick has stated that he looks up to artist such as Tupac Shakur, Jay Z, Nas, The Notorious Big and Eminem, adding that among them, Shakur was his biggest inspiration for both his career and his lifestyle. In 2011 in an interview with Rolling Stone, he mentioned Snoop Dogg and Mos, and later on, he cited the rapper DMX as another influence.
Artistry
Lamar has been named “the new king of hip hop” several times, and even he refers to himself as the “greatest rapper alive”, and “the king of New York”. Speaking about his preferred music genre, Lamar said that his music cannot be categorized, describing it as “human music”, incorporating jazz, funk and spoken word poetry in his songs.
Religious Beliefs
When it comes to Lamar’s religious beliefs, he is a Christian, who converted after the death of a close friend, and has been open about his faith, both in interviews and in music. He was baptized in 2013, and since then has been crediting God for his success. In 2014, he dressed up as Jesus Christ for Halloween, explaining it with the following statement: “If I want to idolize somebody, I’m not going to do a scary monster, I’m not gonna do another artist or a human being—I’m gonna idolize the Master, who I feel is the Master, and try to walk in His light.”
All-Star Weekend Night Game. https://t.co/7pKX7abYt5 pic.twitter.com/rnzNkwfjlY
— Kendrick Lamar (@kendricklamar) February 11, 2018
Relationship Status and Social Media
When it comes to Kendrick’s love life, he has been engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Whitney Alford since April 2015, but there are no other public records regarding his dating history. Lamar is active on social media such as Twitter and Instagram, and is followed by 10.5 million people on the former and 9.3 million on the latter.
General Info
| Full Name | Kendrick Lamar |
| Date Of Birth | June 17, 1987 |
| Height | 1.65 m |
| Weight | 148 pounds |
| Profession | Lyricist, Rapper, Songwriter, m.A.A.d city, Alright, Bitch, Don?’t Kill My Vibe, Indio, CA, United States, Miami, FL, United States |
| Education | Centennial High School |
| Nationality | American |
Family
| Parents | Kenny Duckworth, Paula Oliver, m.A.A.d city, Alright, Bitch, Don?’t Kill My Vibe |
| Partner | Whitney Alford, Whitney Alford |
Accomplishments
| Awards | Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, Grammy Award for Best Rap Song, MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year, Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance, Grammy Award for Best Music Video, Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Performance, MTV Video Music Award for Best Collaboration, BET Award for Best Collabo… |
| Music Groups | Black Hippy |
| Nominations | Grammy Award for Album of the Year, Grammy Award for Song of the Year, Grammy Award for Best New Artist, Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording, Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance, Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Video, MTV Video Music Award … |
Social profile links
Facts
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | His third album “To Pimp A Butterfly” is the highest rated rap album in Metacritic and the 4th highest ranked album of all time with a score of 96/100. |
| 2 | His mother gave him the name “Kendrick” in honor of singer “Eddie Kendricks”. |
| 3 | 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G, Eminem, Jay-Z and Nas are his 5 favorite artists. |
Pictures
Movies
Soundtrack
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Intern | 2015/I | performer: “i” / writer: “i” | |
| The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | 2015 | TV Series performer – 1 episode | |
| Todd’s Pop Song Reviews | 2014-2015 | TV Series performer – 3 episodes | |
| Ballers | 2015 | TV Series performer – 1 episode | |
| BET Awards 2015 | 2015 | TV Movie performer: “Alright” / writer: “Alright” | |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | TV Series writer – 4 episodes, 2014 – 2015 performer – 1 episode, 2014 lyrics – 1 episode, 2014 | ||
| Taylor Swift: Bad Blood | 2015 | Video short performer: “Bad Blood” / writer: “Bad Blood” | |
| The Brit Awards 2015 | 2015 | TV Special writer: “All Day” | |
| Rap Critic Reviews | 2012-2015 | TV Series performer – 4 episodes | |
| The Colbert Report | 2014 | TV Series performer – 1 episode | |
| Saturday Night Live | TV Series performer – 3 episodes, 2013 – 2014 writer – 3 episodes, 2013 – 2014 | ||
| Waterloo Road | 2014 | TV Series performer – 1 episode | |
| Kendrick Lamar: I | 2014 | Video short performer: “I” / writer: “I” | |
| Red Band Society | 2014 | TV Series performer – 1 episode | |
| No Good Deed | 2014/I | performer: “Let Us Move On” / writer: “Let Us Move On” | |
| Think Like a Man Too | 2014 | performer: “Give It 2 U” / writer: “Give It 2 U” | |
| Million Dollar Arm | 2014 | performer: “What Lies Beneath” / writer: “What Lies Beneath” | |
| The Amazing Spider-Man 2 | 2014 | performer: “It’s On Again” / writer: “It’s On Again” | |
| Divergent | 2014 | performer: “Backwards” / writer: “Backwards” | |
| Dancing with the Stars | 2014 | TV Series writer – 1 episode | |
| The 56th Annual Grammy Awards | 2014 | TV Special performer: “Radioactive”, “m.A.A.d City”‘ / writer: “m.A.A.d City”‘ | |
| American Music Awards 2013 | 2013 | TV Special performer: “Swimming Pools Drank”, “Poetic Justice” / writer: “Swimming Pools Drank”, “Poetic Justice” | |
| Grand Theft Auto V | 2013 | Video Game performer: “ILLuminate”, “A.D.H.D.”, “Hood Gone Love It”, “Swimming Pools drank”, “Collard Greens” / writer: “ILLuminate”, “A.D.H.D.”, “Swimming Pools drank”, “Collard Greens” | |
| 2013 MTV Video Music Awards | 2013 | TV Special performer: “Give It 2 U” / writer: “Give It 2 U” | |
| Saints Row IV | 2013 | Video Game performer: “Swimming Pools Drank” / writer: “Swimming Pools Drank” | |
| The Hangover Part III | 2013 | performer: “F**kin’ Problems” / writer: “F**kin’ Problems” | |
| Late Show with David Letterman | TV Series performer – 1 episode, 2013 writer – 1 episode, 2013 | ||
| NeoParadise | 2012 | TV Series performer – 1 episode |
Composer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kendrick Lamar: These Walls | 2015 | Video short | |
| Kendrick Lamar: I | 2014 | Video short as Kendrick Duckworth |
Actor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor Swift: Bad Blood | 2015 | Video short | Welvin Da Great |
Thanks
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armed Robbery: A Hood Masterpiece | 2015 | Short grateful thanks |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | 2015 | TV Series | Himself – Musical Guest |
| BET Awards 2015 | 2015 | TV Movie | Himself – Performer |
| Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show | 2015 | TV Series | Himself – Musical Guest |
| Retro 30 | 2015 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Colbert Report | 2014 | TV Series | Himself |
| Lennon or McCartney | 2014 | Documentary short | Himself |
| Saturday Night Live | 2013-2014 | TV Series | Himself – Musical Guest |
| Kendrick Lamar: I | 2014 | Video short | Himself |
| The Message | 2014 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Himself(2014) |
| IHeartRadio Music Awards | 2014 | TV Special | Himself |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | 2014 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Hip-Hop Fellow | 2014 | Documentary | Himself |
| E! Live from the Red Carpet | 2013-2014 | TV Series | Himself |
| The 56th Annual Grammy Awards | 2014 | TV Special | Himself – Nominee / Performer |
| American Music Awards 2013 | 2013 | TV Special | Himself – Performer |
| GGN: Snoop Dogg’s Double G News Network | 2011-2013 | TV Series | Himself |
| 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards | 2013 | TV Special | Himself |
| The Arsenio Hall Show | 2013 | TV Series | Himself – Musical Guest |
| LA Live the Show | 2013 | TV Series | Himself – ARTIST OF THE MONTH |
| Chelsea Lately | 2013 | TV Series | Himself – Guest |
| 2013 MTV Video Music Awards | 2013 | TV Special | Himself |
| BET Awards 2013 | 2013 | TV Special | Himself |
| Jimmy Kimmel Live! | 2013 | TV Series | Himself – Musical guest |
| Late Show with David Letterman | 2013 | TV Series | Himself – Guest |
| Soul Power! | 2013 | TV Series documentary | Himself, musician |
| NeoParadise | 2012 | TV Series | Himself |
| Conan | 2012 | TV Series | Himself – Musical Guest |
| Late Night with Jimmy Fallon | 2012 | TV Series | Himself – Musical Guest |
| 2012 BET Hip Hop Awards | 2012 | TV Special | Himself |
| Vevo’s Stylized | 2012 | TV Series | |
| MSN Exclusives | 2012 | TV Series | Himself |
| RapFix Live | 2011 | TV Series | Himself |
Awards
Won Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | BET Award | BET Awards | Best Male Hip Hop Artist | |
| 2015 | Grammy | Grammy Awards | Best Rap Performance | For the song “i.” |
| 2015 | Grammy | Grammy Awards | Best Rap Song | |
| 2015 | VMA | MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) | Video of the Year | Taylor Swift: Bad Blood (2015) |
| 2015 | VMA | MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) | Best Collaboration | Taylor Swift: Bad Blood (2015) |
| 2015 | VMA | MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) | Best Direction | |
| 2015 | VMA | MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) | Best Cinematography |
Nominated Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | BET Award | BET Awards | Coca-Cola Viewers’ Choice Award | For the song “i.” |
| 2015 | Black Reel | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Original Song | The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) |
| 2015 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Male Artist | |
| 2015 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Song | Song: “i” |
| 2015 | Special Award | Image Awards | Entertainer of the Year | |
| 2015 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Music Video | Kendrick Lamar: I (2014) |
| 2015 | VMA | MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) | Video of the Year | For the video “Alright.” |
| 2015 | VMA | MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) | Best Male Video | For the video “Alright.” |
| 2015 | VMA | MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) | Best Hip-Hop Video | For the video “Alright.” |
| 2015 | VMA | MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) | Best Direction | Taylor Swift: Bad Blood (2015) |
| 2015 | VMA | MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) | Best Choreography | |
| 2015 | VMA | MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) | Best Visual Effects | Taylor Swift: Bad Blood (2015) |
| 2015 | VMA | MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) | Best Art Direction | Taylor Swift: Bad Blood (2015) |
| 2015 | VMA | MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) | Best Editing | Taylor Swift: Bad Blood (2015) |
| 2015 | VMA | MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) | Best Cinematography | Taylor Swift: Bad Blood (2015) |
| 2015 | VMA | MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) | Best Song of the Summer | |
| 2014 | BET Award | BET Awards | Best Male Hip Hop Artist | |
| 2014 | Grammy | Grammy Awards | Best New Artist | |
| 2014 | Grammy | Grammy Awards | Best Rap Performance | For the song “Swimming Pools (Drank).” |
| 2014 | Grammy | Grammy Awards | Best Rap Album | For the album “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.” |
| 2014 | Grammy | Grammy Awards | Best Rap/Sung Collaboration | |
| 2014 | Grammy | Grammy Awards | Best R&B Performance | |
| 2014 | Grammy | Grammy Awards | Best Rap Song | |
| 2014 | Grammy | Grammy Awards | Album of the Year | |
| 2013 | VMA | MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) | Best Male Video | (for the video “Swimming Pools (Drank)”) |
| 2013 | VMA | MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) | Best Hip-Hop Video | |
| 2013 | VMA | MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) | Best Hip-Hop Video | (for the video “Swimming Pools (Drank)”) |
| 2013 | VGX | Spike Video Game Awards | Best Song in a Game | Grand Theft Auto V (2013) |
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia
